Joint practical guide of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission for persons involved in the drafting of European Union legislation

For more than ten years, the Joint Practical Guide has proven to be a valuable tool in ensuring that the legal acts drawn up by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission are drafted clearly and precisely. The principles set out in the Guide are the point of reference for matters of legislative drafting for the three institutions. However, since the first edition of the Guide was published in 2000, numerous changes have taken place in what is now Union law. It was necessary to consolidate the partial updates which were already available online and the adaptations introduced by the Lisbon Treaty into a new edition. This edition has also been simplified in certain respects and takes account of the most recent changes. Further developments are also expected; when the time comes, they will have to be integrated into the text of the Guide by the Reflection Group on Legislative Drafting, which will be responsible for ensuring it is kept up to date. The Joint Practical Guide is a platform of general drafting principles. Each institution uses the Guide alongside other instruments which contain specific standard formulations and more detailed practical rules